The Australian Labor Party and Bill Shorten appear to have rediscovered their climate change mojo, rejecting Tony Abbott’s party of “flat Earthers”. But the Coalition, large vested interests and the Murdoch media have responded with a vicious scare campaign.

Labor has picked a winner by adopting a long-term renewable energy target, and pushing rooftop solar and battery storage, finally distinguishing itself from the hard right Coalition government. A new poll suggests a clear majority want a renewable target of at least 50%, and many in regional areas want to go to 100% by 2030.

The PM says he can imagine a future where the world no longer uses fossil fuels, but only once every tonne of coal and every molecule of gas has been burned. He expressed this vision while launching the Agricultural Competitive White Paper – a document that all but ignores climate change, again.

CCA chairman Bernie Fraser says policy makers should stop paying “lip service” to 2C climate targets, and lamented cutting back renewable energy targets to suit sectoral interests. Fraser said the move to a low carbon world was “unstoppable” and Australia needed to get on board.